Calving Camera and Twins

[randiliana]

Here's a short video for you....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGqUoxjq ... e=youtu.be

These two were born Feb 26 @3:30 AM. Of course on the stormiest night we have had all winter.... Glad I had the camera. I stayed up late watching and after and hour thought, she must have something going on. I suspected twins, as she had a set last year (by herself) and calved a year, to the day, previously. Raised them both too....

Anyways, I woke DH, said I'm going to check her out, something's up, she's been calving for quite a while and no feet or anything showing. Fortunately she was co-operative enough. Got her in the headgate, reached in and, we had a bum, a tail and a whole lot of other appendages... Found the one hind leg and got it up, then called DH (cell phones are wonderful!) told him that we had twins and one was breech and I didn't know if I could manage on my own. By the time he got up there, I had the first one straightened out, and nearly pulled. Alive, DH got him going while I helped his (feisty) sister out, she didn't like me grabbing her feet, I guess. Anyways got her out, and going and that was it.

The nicest thing about the camera was that we didn't have to go up there and disturb her several times while waiting for her to calve(or not). In the early morning hours, or when it is stormy, that is going to be real nice. Just get up check the camera and hopefully go back to bed.... Well, except for the fact that we still have to check all the outside cows

If anyone wants to watch the real action, here you go. I think there is about 1/2 hour of footage, and I don't have the bandwidth to edit it .
http://www.livestream.com/randiliana/vi ... 0013486a39

 

[MO_cows]

That is cool as all get out. Like you said, you don't have to disturb the cow or distract her, but still can keep track of what is going on out there. I have heard of a lot of horse people using them, but seems slower to catch on for cattle. Probably because most are outside.

 

[CKC1586]

I put barn cams in my maternity pen last year, best money I spent all year. Mine isn't as nice as yours...doesn't do the record thing but sure is nice to keep an eye on them without disturbing them. What brand do you have???? Nice pens too! :nod:

 

[randiliana]

Mine is an Allen Leigh. They have pretty good cameras, a little on the expensive side compared to some, but they work in some pretty cold weather too.

It doesn't record either, but I got the hardware to hook it up to the computer and the software to record came with that. Pretty sweet. But it is much easier to see what is going on on the TV than the computer screen.

 

[randiliana]

MO, the company we got our camera from has a super good PTZ camera that works great for outside. The zoom on it is good enough that you can read the writing on semis going down the highway 5 miles away (friends of ours have one). I'd have bought it last fall too, but DH wouldn't spend the money... lol.

 

[Nesikep]

I plan on setting up a simple webcam with an old garbage laptop I have outside... I might even go as far as to hook it up to my digital camera which has great resolution... i think it would be really nice to have... Now all we need is software to analyse the pictures and wake us up only if the cow is calving, or better yet, only if she has a problem!

 

[randiliana]

I kind of searched around a bit about security cameras. Most of them are only rated to -5 to -10 C. So, I don't know how well they would work around here when it is below -20C. I find that the TV is much nicer to watch things on than the computer. Picture is much clearer.

 

[MistyMorning]

Way cool Randi! Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[Victoria]

Haven't watched the video yet - really haven't gotten over my jealousy of your cameras... ;-)

 

[BettyLandercasper]

What brand is your camera and what did it cost? How far away from the barn will it throw the pictures?
It seems I am up all night long during calving, boy I would LOVE to have a camera.

 

[CKC1586]

Love mine! Works up to 2000 feet.

 

[randiliana]

lol Victoria!

Betty, It is from Allen Leigh, they are a Canadian company out of Manitoba. Top of the line as far as calving cameras go. http://allenleigh.ca/shop/category.aspx?catid=10 ours is the third one down. They are a bit more expensive than your run of the mill security cameras, but are rated to work even when it gets down to -30 C.

 

[George]

lol Victoria!

Betty, It is from Allen Leigh, they are a Canadian company out of Manitoba. Top of the line as far as calving cameras go. http://allenleigh.ca/shop/category.aspx?catid=10 ours is the third one down. They are a bit more expensive than your run of the mill security cameras, but are rated to work even when it gets down to -30 C.

I got the big ptz camera in the corral,and the mini ptz camera in the barn,they will work a lot colder then minus 30.The coldest my outside camera has seen so far is minus 44 and with the windchill that night it was minus 56 and it worked perfect.Those camera's of mine have paid for themselves a couple of times already,in the long run a very cheap investment!!!